


Drag is Art

by Fanatic_weirdo



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Human, Drag Queens, M/M, Not the inverted world, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, but alec has been out a while, mentions casual drug use, nope - Freeform, painter, this was supposed to be a oneshot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-13
Updated: 2017-11-12
Packaged: 2019-02-01 16:09:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12708375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fanatic_weirdo/pseuds/Fanatic_weirdo
Summary: Magnus Bane is a drag queen but he doesn't always tell people that. Alec Lightwood is a young painter and they meet at his opening show at a gallery. This was meant to be a oneshot, but there will definitely be more chapters. Let me know if it's interesting at all.





	Drag is Art

**Author's Note:**

> This story was kind of requested by Becauseisaidsobitch (Sorry i don't know how to link them I'm new) but this is also kind of based on my best friend and his boyfriend. Tho this isn't how they met the art described really is his art. Sorry if they seem a little OOC. They'll get more like themselves as I get used to writing them in this word. Hope you enjoy. Let me know if you'd like to see any particular situations or moments in this world between these two! I'll do my best.

Magnus Bane loved going to art galleries. And the opening one with a relatively unknown artist, that was his favorite. The risk, the expectation, the moment where one is completely overwhelmed or underwhelming by the work. This artist was young, only 24, fairly impressive for a gallery to choose to present an entire collection of one young artist’s work, this Alexander Lightwood must be good. 

“Magnus!” the owner of the gallery greeted him just before he entered the gallery. They had met at Pandemonium in Brooklyn several years ago, where Magnus worked 3 nights a week as a drag queen. He worked one night at a cabaret in the West Village and the other at a bar in Hell’s Kitchen, he had two nights to himself. 

He met thousands of people though doing drag and a lot of them loved his drag persona enough that they offered him free stuff or the opportunity to do events or film things for them. He got paid and it put his name out there even more, and that was always the goal. 

“Mattie! Don’t you look like a knock out” Magnus greeted her with a kiss to each cheek and a grin. She was wearing a stunning blue satin dress that flowed down her body, almost hitting the floor. “Thank you so much for the invite, I’m very excited to see what’s in store with this Mr. Lightwood.” Mattie smirked, 

“He’s going to be a big deal, Magnus, mark my words, he already is a pretty big deal in the art world, and you know in New York that is really saying something.” It was saying something, any industry in NYC was difficult to break into, but art, there were only a handful of artist that every gained and kept any kind of name in this city. It was the same with drag in New York. Java Kopi had managed it, his drag name was now one of the most well known in all the city, especially Brooklyn, but he was certainly making himself known in Manhattan as well. He had been doing it since he was 18, drag allowed him to get into the bars without being carded and now at 25 he was finally getting true recognition for his drag, though he’d been able to make a reasonable living at it since he was 20.

Mattie had been right. This man was something, he was incredible. The way he used colors made Magnus’s bright wardrobe of both boy and girl clothes, seem drab. Alexander Lightwood painted faces in a way that told Magnus this man was observer. A quite mouse off in the corner, hoping no one noticed him watching. But he watched, and saw, and had the incredible ability to interpret in ways Magnus could not dream of doing.

A drag queen had to be an observer too. They had to know whether the crowd was going to be down to hear Kesha or were they more of a Barbra Streisand crowd. This artist would know the answer with every single person he met, but he also discovered so much more. One painting of the collection, titled Financial District had people with numbers for heads, trapped in cubicals with calculators and old timey number counters and a woman in the room with 8 arms with a brain instead of a face and she was carrying coffee and the brain was exploding with exclamation marks. 

The next piece was titled Hell’s Kitchen and there was people with cubed heads and one with an outline of a body with squiggly lines and a group of identical people walking in the same direction. There were bodies where the faces were painted every different color, and a pair of people with their bodies which were joined, being ripped apart, reach and grabbing for each other. That one sent shivers down Magnus’s spine, being torn away from the person who’d been so closely joined to. Magnus knew what that felt like. 

“This one is so pretentious,” a man stood next to him. Magnus looked away from the painting to the man standing next to him. He was so beautiful Magnus stopped breathing for a moment. He was in a black suit and black shirt unbuttoned to the second hole. His dark, nearly black hair was purposefully messy, and carefully trimmed stubble dusted his face. It wasn’t until the man looked at him that Magnus realized his mouth was hanging open and he snapped it shut and the man blushed, which was quite interesting to Magnus since he’d been the one caught gawking. 

“Why do you say that?” Magnus congratulated himself on sounding suave and casual, when on the inside his stomach twisted with butterflies. That was silly, he just met this man, there was no proof he liked men at all, let alone Magnus, plus Magnus was a drag queen and that was an extra barrier he’d had to push through even if the man was interested in Magnus.

“I think he just thought too hard on what he was trying to get across, I mean, we get it, there are a lot of different people in Hell’s Kitchen doing lots of different things, there has to be a better way of portraying that. To be fair, I guess he had a deadline,” the last part was said to himself.

“See that’s not what I see at all.” Magnus claimed. The man gave his attention to Magnus, 

“I’d love to hear what you have to say,” the man claimed with a shy smile, wait was he flirting? Magnus smiled and motioned to the painting. 

“His use of color is just staggering. If this were draw or something it would be cool but considering he used all these colors, painting, is incredible. My favorite part of it is definitely the couple being ripped apart, I assume he painted them because either he witnessed a couple’s fight or he know what this city can do to a relationship.” Magnus didn’t mean to sound bitter, but he’d had his heart ripped out and stepped on more than he cared to think about right now, especially now while standing with this beautiful man. Magnus could feel the man studying him and he tried really hard to not look up at him.

“The person who did that to you should be destroyed,” Magnus’s head snapped to the man who had looked back at the painting. Magnus started to open his mouth to respond but then suddenly Mattie’s voice broke up the moment.

“Oh I’m so glad you two have met!” Mattie said, grinning as she walked up to the couple, putting her arm around Magnus’s waist. “So Magnus, what do you think of the man himself?” Magnus's eyes widened in surprise, Alexander looked sheepish at getting caught. 

“We were just discussing this piece. I am very interest in purchasing at least one of his works,” Magnus admitted. Alexander looked at him surprised. 

“Alec, did Magnus tell you he was a drag queen? That’s how I met him!” Magnus had to hold in a groan halfway between his job being revealed. He didn’t like for people to know, it made the create judgements before ever really getting to know him. And this person was one he had been interested in trying to get to know, well there went that. For his credit Alec just smiled,

“No he didn’t,” he said smoothly, smiling at Mattie. 

“You both need some more wine, I’ll be right back,” she said, rushing off to find a waiter. Alec looked at him as if he were now a piece of art to be discussed.

“I’m Alec Lightwood, sorry I didn’t tell you, I just like to get honest opinions without people trying to kiss up to me,” Alec said, smiling while blushing.

“Magnus Bane, and has anyone had a negative response to your work? I think it’s captivating.” Alec’s smile fell slightly,

“Oh plenty of people, no one quite so much as my parents, but…” Alec drifted off as they walked together to look at the next piece. This one was Fashion District, this was something that made Magnus smile, because he recognized this one most. A flurry of colorful streaks that was meant to be fabric, a girl’s body with tiny breast with the nipple crossed out and fabric pulled across her nearly non-existent waist, in front of her was lines of cocaine. There was a giant hand pulling one of the streaks of colors into a sewing machine, the hand old and worn. There were more bodies, that were all legs, just painted as lines and their torsos and heads were small and frail looking. 

“The fashion work isn’t that different from the drag scene,” Magnus observed. “We don’t worry quite as much about being super skinny, but god forbid we look too much like men, we have to keep out bodies thin and with no muscles. And the cocaine is very real in both worlds, we just use it to stay awake and not to stay skinny. This one is my favorite,” he breathed. Alec smiled at him,

“Mine too.” They stayed quiet for a moment more before Magnus asked,

“Your parents don’t support you painting?” he was pretty sure he was over stepping but he was just so confused as to how anyone could look down upon Alec’s work.

“Oh no, they’re fine with what I do, it’s how I do it they have a problem with. My brother is an artist too but he includes all types of media including graphics and sketch and photography, but I’m old school, I stick with painting exclusively. That doesn’t impress them very much.” Alec explained in a way that told Magnus he was really good at keeping his emotions in check, not giving away how he truly felt about it.

“Eh, everyone does that, it’s rare to have someone who still only paints and with so much skill and talent that you have, don’t listen to them, you’re the one with a showing in a gallery. Does your brother have this?” Magnus hoped Alec’s response wasn’t something like ‘he has a piece in the MOMA’. 

“No, but-“ Alec admitted, Magnus smiled,

“See? No reason to feel inferior when your career is taking off.” He nudged Alec gently. Alec blushed furiously and smiled. 

“So tell me about your drag,” Alec asked, Magnus’s face fell slightly.

“My drag name is Jakarta, it’s the city I was born. I’m one of those douchey queens who only has a first name. Like Willam, Rupaul or Cher.” Magnus grinned playfully. Alec laughed freely at Magnus’s joke, and Magnus felt the butterflies flapping harder.

“They’re doing just fine so I’d say you were smart in giving yourself only one name,” Alec smirked. “Do you parents know you do drag?” Magnus kept the smile on his face as he shook his head, but Alec’s face fell. 

“Oh no, it’s not like that, I wasn’t disowned or anything, my mom had depression and killed herself when I was little but my step-father was great until I graduated high school, we keep in touch but he doesn’t know much about my life, I like to keep it that way.” Magnus explained. Alec nodded,

“My mom wasn’t thrilled with me being gay, but Dad was shockingly supportive and Mom’s good now, it just took her a few months, I mean it took me 14 years to come to terms with it so I would have given her as long as she needed.” Alec looked down at his hand, shyly, “I don’t mean to assume but with the drag, um are you-?” Alec left the question open. Magnus smiled at the man’s sweetness,

“I’m bi, and you Mr. Lightwood, are definitely my type. Not that I’m-I know some guys are totally turned off by the drag thing. So are women so… unless they have a fetish for in, which is worse and I am no assuming anything about you, I will still-“ Magnus was normally so charming when it came to this part, but Alec being told he was a queen before Magnus had the chance to tell him had thrown him off.

“Magnus,” Alec interrupted. “I do not have a drag queen fetish and you are certainly my type as well, just as you are.” Magnus grinned, 

“Could I take you dinner sometime, Alexander?” Magnus asked. Alec beamed and blushed and nodded,

“I would love that.” 

“Guys,I have your wine,” Mattie returned, smiling. “Alec, your stuff is a hit! I knew it would be,” she sounded pleased with herself. Magnus looked at Alec who looked happy but nervous. “Your brother and sister are floating around here somewhere, they got here just a minute ago” she said, looking around. At this Alec looked so genuinely surprised that it hurt Magnus to see. How could this talented man’s family teach him he was anything but amazing.

“Alec,” Suddenly a stunning woman threw her arms around Alec from behind, squeezing him tightly. “I’m so proud of you! This is all so incredible,” her eyes were shining with tears as she came around to his front. Alec’s entire face softened at the sight of her and Magnus instantly liked her. 

“Thanks Izzy,” Alec muttered, hugging her properly this time. “Iz, this is Mattie Herzberg, she’s the owner of the gallery,” Izzy held out her hand and smiled warmly at the woman. “And this is Magnus Bane,” Alec introduced him, “This is my sister Isabelle.” Izzy took a step towards Magnus holding out her hand,

“Well you are gorgeous, hello, oh my god is this Armani” Magnus smiled as the woman boldly approached him. “I love a well-dressed man,” she flirted.

“Hello, so glad to meet you, I need to know, is your brother more of a flower or cologne type of guy.” Alec blushed scarlet but grinned at Magnus’s diversion of his sister. 

“Oh damn it! Of course you like Alec, he is quite the catch I suppose, and he likes flowers.” she smirked with half of her mouth and cocked her eyebrow at her brother with the other one. 

“Besides don’t you have a boyfriend?” Alec asked with the slight disapproval that could only come with being a big brother. Izzy rolled her eyes, 

“Yes but Meliorn can be such a stick in the mud,” she pouted. She turned back to Magnus and opened her mouth, Magnus assumed to attack him with questioned but they were interrupted by a blond man with a too cocky smile if you asked Magnus. 

“Alec, I must say, this is killer, man,” the blond clapped Alec on the shoulder. “Way better than anything I could do,” he whispered and only because they were all standing so close could Magnus and Izzy hear him. Alec shrugged unconvinced, 

“Thank you,” he said almost as if trying not to get his hopes too far up. There was so much to this man. And Magnus could not wait could find out all he could


End file.
